Prospects for biodiversity conservation:
Lessons from Atlantic Forest
Marcelo Tabarelli
UFPE
www.ufpe.br/ecoplan/
Talk content
Major findings from the Atlantic Forest research;
Forest response to human disturbances;
Forces modulating forest response;
Prospect for biodiversity in human-modified
landscapes;
Implications for conservation and research
agenda.
Finding 1: Biodiversity is not distributed
randomly
Altitudinal distribution
Tabarelli et al. 2010 Biological Conservation
Finding 2: Habitat loss is highly deterministic
Habitat loss
Tabarelli et al. 2010 Biological Conservation
Finding 3: Habitat protection is biased
Distribution of forest protection effort
Tabarelli et al. 2010 Biological Conservation
Finding 4: Human disturbances drive tropical
forests to hyper-fragmented landscapes
Intact forest
landscapes
Human-modified
Hyper-fragmented landscapes
(HML)
Forest cover and structural connectivity+ -
Human disturbances
Land-use intensification
Tabarelli et al. 2008 Biotropica
Finding 5: Disturbance-adapted species
proliferate in HML
0
20
40
60
80
100
Pioneer
species
Emergent
species
Canopy
species
Understory
species
Vertebrate
dispersed
species
Ecological groups
Perc
en
tag
e o
f tr
ee s
pecie
s
Forest edge
Forest interior
Source: Oliveira et al. 2004 Oryx
Proliferation of pioneer species on edge-affected habitats of Atlantic Forest
Proliferating species (winners!)
Birds
Reptiles
Non-flying mammals
Bats
Ants
8 col/ha
Urbas et al. 2007 JTE
Finding 6: Few biological strategies tend to
persist in HML
© Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Inconspicuous flowers, pollinated by
“diverse small insects” (DSI) are
more frequent in edge-affected
habitats and within pioneers
© Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
© Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
© Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Floral Type
Finding 7: Biological strategies typical of the
old-growth flora tend to disappear
Girão et al. 2007 PLoS One
Extirpation of sensitive tree functional groups
Non-inconspicuous/open flowers are
more frequent in forest interior plots and within old-growth flora
Brush flowers Tube flower
Flag flowersCamera flower
Floral Types
Tabarelli et al. (2010) Conservation Biology
Reproducitve strategies of tree species
Small fragments support…
50% of tree species richness;
30% of large-seeded species;
40% of shade-tolerant species;
25% of emergent tree species;
< 25% tree species pollinated by vertebrates.
Santos et al. 2008 Biol. Conserv.
Girão et al. 2007 PLoS One
Oliveira et al. 2008 Forest Ecol & Manag
Finding 8: Biological communities converge
at local and landscape scales
Floristic convergence among edge-affected habitats
Santos et al. Biol. Conserv. 2008
Forest interior plots
Edge
Second-growth
Fragment plots
Tree plot ordination based on reproductive trait abundance
Functional convergence among edge-affected habitats
individuals species
Lopes et al. Biol. Conserv. 2009
Forest interior plots
Edge
Second-growth
Fragment plots
ks
ja
ed
abc
g f
ha e
ab
e
Time after habitat fragmentation
e
b
ba
Convergence or biotic homogenization
Forest fragments
Pioneers proliferate
Old-growth flora collapses
Log10
Distance between pairs of subregions (Km)
1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8
Jacc
ard
's S
imila
rity
Ind
ex
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
Taxonomic similarity across sub-regions of Atlantic Forest
Lobo et al. (in press). Diversity and Distributions
20% increment on similarity
Pre 1980
Post 1980
Forest response to human-disturbances
Habitat Fragmentation
Edge
effectsFire Logging Hunting
Forest structural collapseElimination of frugivores
Pioneer
proliferation
Early-successional systems
Decline of shade-tolerant
trees
Source: Tabarelli et al. 2008 Biotropica
Creation of forest edges
Old-growth forest
Early-successional system
Secondarization of edge-affected habitats
Forces modulating secondarization
Time after initial disturbance
Early successional
Mid-successional
Old-growth stage
+
-
Forest response to human disturbances
Matrix harshness
Old-growth taxa favoring
Pioneer favoring
Time after initial disturbance
Early successional
Mid-successional
Old-growth stage
+
-
Environmental extremes
Forest response to human disturbances
Old-growth taxa favoring
Pioneer favoring
Time after initial disturbance
Early successional
Mid-successional
Old-growth stage
+
-
Collection of forest products
Old-growth taxa favoring
Pioneer favoring
Forest response to human disturbances
Time after initial disturbance
Early successional
Mid-successional
Old-growth stage
Historical exposure to disturbance
+
-
Forest response to human disturbances
Occurrence of disturbance-adapted species
Occurrence of disturbance-adapted species
Prospect for biodiversity-regulated
processes in human-modified landscapes
Time after disturbance
Sp
ec
ies
ric
hn
es
s
Fu
nc
tio
na
ld
ivers
ity
Bio
ma
ss
Pri
ma
ry p
rod
uc
tivit
y
Secondarization
Forest regeneration
Early succ. Mid-successional Late successional
Ecosystem functioning across forest regeneration/retrogressive succession
>90% < 50% < 30% < 10%
Intact FragmentedVariegated Relictual
Bio
div
ers
ity r
ete
ntion
+
-
Ecolo
gic
al serv
ices
Need f
or
managem
ent
Econom
ic v
alu
e o
f fo
rest
undisturbed
disturbed
Forest cover
Socia
l and c
ultura
l div
ers
ity
Land-use intensification
Landscape type
How much biodiversity is
expected to persist in the
Atlantic Forest?
It depends on..
Number of proliferating species;
Secondarization level experienced by the
remaining forest.
Prediction...
Few species will persist across
tropical human-modified
landscapes!!!!
(secondary-forest dwellers)
Tabarelli (2010) Biotropica
Theoretical implications for conservation
Any conservation strategy
that fails to safeguard
large blocks of core
primary forests has limited
potential for biodiversity
conservation, provision of
ecological services, and
long-term human well-
being based on forestry
activities.
Biodiversity Corridor Approach
Santos et al. (2008) Biological Conservation
Research Agenda
A promising approach
Human disturbances
Habitat loss and fragmentation;
Edge effects;
Disruption of species interactions
Over-exploitation;
Fire;
Climate change (climatic extremes).
Biodiversity-controlled
processes Ecological services;
Goods provision;
Conservation services;
Human cultural diversification;
Human well-being;
Human-society vulnerability to
global changes.
Secondarization Secondarization
shape shape
The big question!
To which extent do tropical forest approach
early-successional systems in response to
human disturbances?
By approaching such a system the negative
impacts on biodiversity-controlled processes
are inevitable and irreversible
Acknowledgements!
Collaborators
Dr Carlos A. Peres (UEA)
Dr Rainer Wirth (UK)
Dr Inara R Leal (UFPE)
Dr Ariadna F. Lopes (UFPE)
Ricardo Rodrigues (ESALQ)
Jean Paul Metzger (USP)
Lab team
Dr Felipe P Melo
MSc Severino R Pinto
MSc Antonio Aguiar
MSc Edgar Silva
MSc Waness Almeida
MSc Gabriel Mendes
Thanks for your attention !!!
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